Why Proficiency-Based? Learning All Ways; Always Learning Learning is a process, and everyone can learn something new. Each one of our learners is a unique and special learner, and each learner brings their own thoughts, ideas, and experiences into their classroom everyday. Proficiency-Based Learning is an approach that focuses on the expectations and opportunities to meet those expectations, versus traditional school systems that advance students because of their age or an inaccurate representation of their performance (i.e. averaged grades).

How Proficiency-Based Grading Works Imagine you have been tasked to bake a cake. The first test cake you bake fails miserably. The second test cake you make is slightly better, but still really bad. The third and fourth test cakes you make are near perfection, and the fifth cake you make wins first prize at the county fair. If we took an average score of cake-making, you’d be at about a “C”. So the question is: Is that grade an accurate representation of your ability to make cakes?

The short answer: yes.

http://www.breweredu.org/our-proficiency-basedlearning-system/

http://maine.gov/doe/proficiency/

https://studentsatthecenterhub.org/

https://www.competencyworks.org/

A Quick Guide for Brewer School Department Parents and Community Members

Proficiency-Based Grading is based on a fourpoint scale and uses multiple methods to determine the proficiency level of the learner. The numbers are not averaged. The numbers are there to communicate what the learner knows AND can do at that moment.

Will Colleges Accept These Grades?

Proficiency-Based Learning Resources & Supports

ProficiencyBased Learning

Colleges and Universities accept all kinds of transcripts and grade reporting. Some schools use a 100% scale, some use a 4-point scale… some don't use any grades at all! Many homeschooled students never receive a grade, and a transcript from an international school may look completely different from a more local one. The fact is: colleges want to know how we grade and determine proficiency, and can make their judgments from there.

For more information: http:// greatschoolspartnership.org/proficiency-basedlearning/college-admissions/

Our Vision Brewer School Department will be an innovative learning community preparing students to reach their full potential as leaders, learners and critical thinkers in a complex and changing world.

Our Mission Brewer School Department educates all students through relevant and engaging instruction to achieve personal success and contribute to their community.

What are some key elements of Proficiency-Based Learning?

What does it mean to earn a distinguished level of “4”?

A “4” is significantly different from a “3” relative to the complex demand of thinking or a more complex application of the skill or knowledge that is being assessed. The “4” is not just more of the “3”. For example, saying that answering 9 out of 10 questions on a test correctly is a “3” and that 10 out of 10 is a “4” is not good practice unless the last question is one that requires the rigor to be at a GREATER RIGOR on the taxonomy (Marzano’s new taxonomy) than was originally defined as a “3” on the Scoring Guide.

Separating Academic and Behavioral Expectations Traditional grades combined academic performance (tests & projects) and behaviors (late assignments, etc), providing an unclear picture performance. Proficiency-Based Learning fixes that.

Clear Learning Targets and Goals

Multiple Opportunities and Pathways

Neuroscientists and education researchers all agree that the most impactful element of student learning is having a clear and explicit target of what is to be learned and done. In other words: know what you're looking for before you start looking.

The goals and targets are consistent for everyone, but all learners learn at different paces, and in different ways. Proficiency-Based Learning helps us focus on creating pathways to meet the needs of the learners while also meeting the expectations.

District-Wide Grading Scale

Building Lifelong Learning and Independence We want all learners to leave our education system being able to to three things really well: (1) Ask good questions; (2) Have the ability to research and answer those questions; and (3) Ask new questions based on the answers. This is heart of being an independent, lifelong learner.

Brewer will employ a consistent system of grading that reports student learning progress and achievement across two aligned categories on a 4-point scale that aligns Proficiency Levels with Proficiency Descriptions. Our Learning Targets are scored on a 1.0-4.0 scale. The following represents what each level means.

Proficiency Levels

Proficiency Descriptions

A student should not have to undertake a large amount of independent work to earn a “4”. Opportunities to study advanced topics, tackle challenging problems and develop advanced skills should be made explicit and actively supported as part of regular instruction whenever possible for all students.

4.0 The learner demonstrates in-depth inferences and applications that go beyond the targeted proficiency level.

Any activity or task used as a summative assessment of a learning target must include an opportunity for students to perform at the “level 4” by increasing the rigor level. An activity or task that will be used in a summative manner should be designed in such a way that all students attempt the “4” rather than having it be an extra credit or optional component.

2.0 The learner is proficient in the foundational knowledge with no major errors or omissions regarding simpler details and processes. 1.0 With help, the learner has a partial understanding of some of the simpler details and processes.

3.0 The learner has met the expected target at a proficient level of complex knowledge.